1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves a production management system in a production unit and a corresponding warning process.
2. Discussion of the Background
This invention applies to any production unit managed through a schedule of tasks to be performed, also called work or planning schedule. Its purpose is for each task to be performed to determine the chronological order of performing these tasks as well as a starting date and a completion date for each of them. These tasks can be very numerous and involve a large number of individuals. For instance, this is the case for aeronautical, space, naval construction but also for the construction of a plant, a building, etc. As such, preparing a work schedule has become a true science. Undoubtedly the best known method to establish such work schedules is the critical path method, commonly known as PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique).
Such work schedule preparation methods permit upstream management but do not provide the means to avoid, or at least limit, deviations with respect to the initial schedule during production.
When a technical problem occurs during the performance of a task, this problem is handled by the individual who discovers it. For instance, this person notifies the applicable supervisor. According to the importance of the problem, the information is then retransmitted to a methods office that provides for technical support for all or a part of the production unit and/or the office that designed the piece or the assembly, for which the technical problem has appeared. Once the solution has been found, it is retransmitted to the level of the mounting station and the technical operation for which the problem surfaced, can now be performed.
To enable a production follow-up, computer or manual inputs of starting and completion dates of the various tasks, technical problems that may be found, solutions found can be performed. Then, it is possible, at the level of the production management department to view and edit on paper all information input.
In spite of the implementation of modern communication means (phone, email, . . . ) that permit quick transmission of information, one observes that information transmission times are relatively long within a given production group and can be damaging, especially when the problem occurs during a task that is located on the critical path of a work schedule.